300 CUPS' WORTH OF CAFFEINE

photocopies from 26th January

CUTTING YOUR TEETH ON...

cut your teeth

to get your first experience of a particular type of work and learn the basic skills (often + on )

She cut her teeth on a local newspaper before landing a job on a national daily.

The hunter boasted of having cut his teeth on tigers.

Photocopies from 17th January 2017
Photocopies from 19th January 2017
audio about Japanese toilets

NOSEY PARKER

a 'nosy parker', also spelled 'nosey parker', is a person of an overly inquisitive or prying nature.

photocopies from 12th January

listening activity

tapescript 

TAKE THE PLUNGE!

plunge  noun  an act of jumping or diving into water; a quick swim.

to take the plunge   figurative   to make a decision to do something, especially after thinking about it for a long time; commit oneself to a course of action about which one is nervous.

She wondered whether to enter for the race, but decided to take the plunge

They're finally taking the plunge and getting married.

He decided to take the plunge and become a full-time professional musician

Synonyms: commit oneself, go for it, throw caution to the wind(s), give it one's all, give it all one has, go all out;jump in at the deep end, go for broke

 

photocopies from 10th January 

JERRY-BUILT

jerry-built     badly or hastily built with materials of poor quality 

Photocopies from 20th December 2016



Richard Ford: OK to Say Negro from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

THE DAILY GRIND

the daily grind  (someone's) everyday work routine; an activity that is tiring or boring and takes a lot of time

   I'm getting very tired of the daily grind.

   When my vacation was over, I had to go back to the daily grind.

Photocopies from 13th December
Photocopies from 15th December 
Sea lions_video 1
Sea lions_video 2
Sea lions_video 3

NO MATCH FOR HER

to be no match for someone/something to be not as good, strong, clever etc as someone you are competing against; to be easily defeated by someone; if one person or thing is no match for another, they are unable to compete successfully with the other person or thing:

Despite thorough preparation, England’s cricketers were no match for India.

He was no match for his opponent

I was no match for a man with such power

Hand-held guns proved no match for heavy armor